Member of the judging panel, France Télévisions editor-in-chief, Jean-Paul Gérouard, said: "This dummy's guide to leasing scams is a good example of what you can achieve by using multimedia tools.
The Mail & Guardian had produced an impressive investigation story on how to rip off taxpayers with state leases."

"It is such an honour for us to receive this award, particularly as this is the first year that online journalism has been recognised," said M&G Online deputy editor Verashni Pillay.

"This new award, if I may, represents the future of journalism on this continent in so many ways. The work that we do at the M&G and as African journalists seeks to tell the truth, to uncover corruption, to guard the guardians, as it were. To do that, we need to use every tool at our disposal – be it social media, audio visual stories, or the sheer reach that mobile and online journalism offers. In doing so we will do a better job of informing our audience, a better job of holding those in power accountable and a better job of making this continent the place it could be," said Pillay.

The awards have been running since 1995 and the digital journalism category was created for the first time in 2012. The criteria for the category stipulated entries needed to show creativity with the use of digital platforms to tell the story. The M&G's piece was chosen winner from 1 799 entries from 42 nations across Africa.

M&G Online editor Chris Roper said: "The award is great recognition of the work the M&G has done to break down the barriers between 'traditional' and digital journalism. The winning piece combines the best of deep investigative journalism with the most useful of digital storytelling tools, to give the reader a story that's compelling on multiple levels. It's the way African journalism should be done, and the way it will be done in the near future."

"The M&G is renowned for its important investigations, which are often quite complex. At the M&G Online we try to unpack these sometimes difficult to understand stories and show our audience why it's important in an easily accessible way, using the various online tools at our disposal," said Pillay.

Deshnee Subramany

Deshnee Subramany is our loudest employee. After slogging through various positions in marketing, advertising, radio – and a cow suit – Deshnee finally found her way to the M&G as a content producer in 2010, and was then forced to grow up by filling the position of day editor of the website. Sometimes she puts on her radio voice and guest-hosts the M&G Newsroom.If she was a superhero she would be called the Feeding Frenzy. Her passion is South African politics and revolutions. This comrade loves setting her world alight by discovering new ideas and people, and isn't afraid to laugh the loudest. Read more from Deshnee Subramany